Traffic button



March 24, 1931,

P. c. FINL EY 1,797,498

TRAFFIC BUTTON Filed July 23, 1928 21 2427 I5 14 I2 is 22 FIG.

INVENTOR PERCY C -F|NLEY .ATTORNEYS BYJ Patented Mar. 24, 1931 PATENT crates PERCY C. FINLEY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC BUTTON Application filed Ju1y 23,

This invention relates to devices commonly called traffic buttons.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved trafiic button which is vertically 5 depressible, so that when the body or head of the button is encountered by a wheel of a vehicle, it may be depressed and assume a position approximately flush with thesurface of a roadway, and in this manner it will 1 not act as an obstruction to the wheel. Most forms of traflic buttons now in general use are the solid or stationary character, and because of this, when encountered by wheels of vehicles, they result in damage to tires and to the wheel. It is well known that striking these trafiic buttons'is not due to reckless or careless driving, but frequently results from unavoidable circumstances, and it not infrequently occurs when conditions'are right that vehicles are often turned over on encountering them.

Another object of the invention is, therefore, to provide a tratfic button which is of a disappearing nature so that if the button should be struck by the wheel of a vehicle, it will disappear beneath the surface of the roadway, and the above recited disadvantages of the solid or stationary type of button will not be present. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved traific button which is of simple, cheap and durable construction, and which can be easily and quickly installed, and which will present an appearance somewhat similar to trafiic buttons now in general use.

lViththe foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed construction and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrated embodiment of the invention, wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved traflic button;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially upon the line 22 of Fig. 1; A

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken substantially upon the line 38 of Fig. 2.

' Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters desig- 1928. Serial No. 294,805.

nate similar parts throughout, the improved button consists of a housing 10 in the form of an open topped cylindrical container having a bottom 11. A dome shaped body or head 12 fits within the housing 10 and is vertically slidable therein. Central of'the dome shaped body, and on the under side thereof, there is a depending guide pin 13 provided with a shoulder 14 which bears against the under side of the dome shaped body. The upper end of the guide pin is threaded into the body 12, as indicated at 15, and its top is preferably flush with the body. Central of the bottom 11 of thehousing 10 there is preferably formed an upstanding boss'16 which may, if desired, be reinforced by ribs 17. On the under side of the bottom 11 there is also a boss'18 inalignment with the boss 16, and a bore 19 extends through both posts and receives the lower end of'the'guide pin 18. A washer 20 fits about the guide pin and is preferably recessed in the top of the upper boss 16, constituting a spring seat for a coil spring 21 which is compressed about the guide pin between the washer 20 and the shoulder 14 serving to urge the dome shaped body 12 into its uppermost position, protruding out of the top of the housing 10.

A retaining ring 22 is fastened tothe top of the housing, such as by bolts or cap screws 23, which have their heads disposed in recesses 24.- therein. This retaining ring extends inwardlybeyond the side walls of the housing 7 and tits in a groove 25 formed on the dome shapedmember 12, and serves to limit the upward movement of the dome shaped member, due to the action of the spring 21. Around the bottom of the dome shaped member there is formed a depending flange 26 which, when the dome shaped member is depressed into the housing, is adapted to engage and rest on the bottom 11, thus limiting the downward movement of the dome shaped body 12.

It will be noted that adjacent the edge of the exposed surface of the body 12 there is an annular concave area indicated at 27, the particularsfof which will be hereinafter more fully explained. The housing 10 is adapted to be imbedded in a roadway B so that the compressing the spring 21. When the dome shaped body 12 is in its most depressed posi tion, the flange 26 rests on the bottom 11, and in this manner the body is amply suliicient to support the weight of any vehicle passing over the traflic button- In such position-,-the top surface of the body 12' andof the guide pin 13'is substantially flush with the top surface of the retaining ring 22 and the roadway R, andalthoughthere is a small space'in such position between the top of the body of theretaining ring 22, a Vehicle on passing over the button, will not receive an objectionable jar, the space being too small to have such jar created.

As soon' as the wheel is passed over the body, the spring 21- serves to return the body into its normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, wherein the body projects above the surface of the roadway and serves as an indicator.-

The function of the concave annular area 27 is as follows: As the wheel of the vehicle strikes the dome'shapedmember, the outermost partof the concave area being nearly horizontal, allows the wheel to force thedome shaped member vertically downward and there'is very little-tendency to knock the body 12 sideways so that it will bind within the housing. Also, in the case of a vehicle skidding laterally, the concave area 27 enables the tire of the vehicle wheel to slide upwardly on to the body 12-and thuspress the body downwardly. Whereas, if the body 12 presented a convex surface over its entire top, there would be a tendency to have the body move sideways within the housing and bind.

From the above described construction it will be appreciated that an improved traflic button is provided which presents an appearance similar to that of traffic buttons now 1n general use. Furthermore, the improved traffic button is of a disappearing nature,so

that it will not offer a solid stationary obstruction to vehicles passing over it. I

' Various changes may be made in the details'of construction by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1-. A traflic button comprising a dome shaped body adapted to be mounted in a'road way to serve asan indicator; means urging said body to assume a normal position above the surface of the roadway, said means permitting said body to be vertically depressed so that it will not act as an obstruction when encountered by wheels of a vehicle, said dome shaped body presenting an annular concavesurface adjacent its base as and for the purpose described. v

2. A trafiic button comprising an open topped housing adapted to be imbedded in a roadway, a dome shaped body vertically movable in said housing adapted to assume anormal position projecting through the open top of the housing, means urging the dome shaped body into said normal position, but permitting it to be depressed into said housing, and a retaining ring detachably secured to the top of the housing and engageable upon the dome shaped body for limiting the upward movement of the dome shaped body.

3.-A traffic button comprising a dome shaped body adapted to be movably mounted in a roadway for vertical movement, said" body presenting an annular concave area near its outer edge, as and for the purpose described.

4:. A trah'ic button comprising an open topped cylindrical housing adapted to be imbedded in a roadway, a dome shaped body vertically movable in said housing adapted to assume a normal position projectingthrough the open top of the housing, spring means urging the dome shaped body into said normal position but permitting it to be depressed into said housing, a retaining ring on top of the housing and engageable upon the dome shaped body for limiting the upward movement of the dome shaped body, said retaining ring being detachably fastened to the topof the housing by bolts having headsrecessed in the retaining ring.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

P.- C. FINLEY. 

